Free For All Friday 5-9-2014: Mosins, Competition and Pocket Pistols.
I’ve got something big cooking. It’s going to be a couple months before I get to even hint at what it is but trust me, it’s awesome. At least I think it’s awesome. You could be like “meh” but in the meantime, I’m super excited about it and you should be too.
Also, it always amuses me how sometimes I get a batch of questions and messages that deal with one very specific subject. This week, it was about my beloved Mosin Nagant. Not only did I get a message on FB from a reader telling me he bought one and loves it (glad to hear it, dude!), but I got 2 emails with a similar story THEN I get a question from quite possibly our biggest fan Skyler (who has almost single handedly been keeping this weekly column alive and we thank him greatly for it). Hey, Skyler, if you’re reading this (and I’m pretty sure you are), send me a private message via Facebook when you get the chance, please.
On to this week’s questions!
“I have been thinking about getting a Mosin-Nagant. However, I recently met a person who had a bullet blow up in his face and hand from the gun. The bullet did not seat properly and when he slid the bolt forward, it hit the primer and went off. I have heard other horror stories as well So, my question is, 1. is this a good rifle to get? 2. if so, how do I choose one? What do I look for? Thanks as always.” -Skyler R.
The Mosin-Nagant is probably one of my absolute favorite guns ever made. It’s certainly one of the favorites of my collection. It’s another one of those “every house should have one” type of guns, in my book. They’re inexpensive and solid and fun as heck to shoot. As far as your concerns, we’re talking statistics here. There are millions and millions of Mosins out there and there are bound to be a couple of lemons. Arguably, it’s probably no more than your average number of factory messed up Glocks or Berettas.
Assuming your friend’s gun wasn’t just a bad gun from the start, one thing to watch for is the surplus ammo. It’s usually corrosive ammo and, if you don’t properly care for your gun, it will corrode and become VERY dangerous for use within even a few days after shooting. Best way to prevent the corrosion is to either make absolutely sure your ammo is non-corrosive (aka not cold war surplus aka not as cheap) or to neutralize the corrosive residue after shooting. This is as simple as spraying your gun down with ammonia or, my personal favorite magic elixir: Ballistol. Failure to do so could very easily lead to the kind of failures. Side note: I’ve seen ammo that was labelled as “non corrosive” that was still corrosive ammo. The best thing to do is follow the acid neutralizing procedure on your gun regardless of what you shoot through it.
Things to look for when buying a Mosin-Nagant:
- Good wood – if the root is rotting, damaged or just wonky, chances are the gun wasn’t stored properly and the rest of the components could suffer as well.
- Solid Action – the bolt should move freely BUT it will take some effort. These weren’t competition, teflon coated, multi-lug rifle bolts on these guns. These bolts were meant to be operated by soldiers who were so badassed that they would use live bears as comforters on their beds. So while the bolt may be a bit stiff, you don’t want one that would almost fall open and you certainly don’t want it completely seized up. I have to hit mine a couple times every now and then to unlock it, for example, and that’s ok.
- Clean, non-pitted barrel – get a bore light, check and double check that the gun is clear, put the light in the bolt area and then look down the barrel. It should be smooth and almost reflective. The only texture should be the rifling.
- Accessories – Mosin-Nagants should come with the following: a bayonet, a tool kit, an oil canister, a clip pouch (or two) and a sling. Anything less and you’re probably getting ripped off unless you’re paying under $100 (and even then, probably).
“What do you think of the Ruger LCP? I have a friend who carries it and he hates it. It has a double pull for each shot but he still carries it.” -Fred S.
I answered this one on the Facebook page already but I thought I’d re-post it here and go into a bit more depth just in case anyone is having similar questions.
Ruger is one of those “can’t go wrong” kind of companies. They’ve been around for a very long time, their lineup is solid and their quality/prices are good. The LCP, it can be argued, it almost completely responsible for this pocket pistol revolution. I have shot the LCP and I have never had a problem recommending it as a carry pistol. That being said, it’s not without its faults.
I don’t really have much fault with anything that’s on the gun, per se, but it’s what the gun is lacking that bugs me. I don’t like the lack of a slide release on it. It doesn’t have a slide lock because the slide doesn’t lock back after the last round is fired. This is a deal breaker for me, personally. With all the other stuff to keep in mind in a defensive scenario, trying to follow the whole “did he fire 6 round or did he fire 5” thing in my head is one thing too many. I don’t want to be thinking my gun still has ammo when it doesn’t. Also, the locked back slide makes reloads much faster.
As far as the long double action pull goes, that’s a safety feature you’re going to find on about 99% of the pocket pistols out there. The Ruger’s pull is significant, mind you, but with enough dry fire practice it’s nothing that anyone can’t get used to. Even Kahr, who makes arguably the best carry guns in the world, uses a double action pull with their striker fired guns. If you’re dead set against a double action pistol, take a look at the SIG P238 or the Colt Mustang. Glock has also recently released a tiny .380 that could be used as a pocket pistol as well. You could also go with a Springfield XDs in 9mm or even .45, depending on the size of your pockets (I regularly pocket carry my XDs .45).
“I’m looking into getting into competitive shooting. Do you have a list of shooting groups that offer competition and training? Maybe a list with a breakdown of competition types, allowable firearm types, etc…” -Chris H.
Right off the bat, if you don’t have a copy of “Shoot!” by Julie Golob, click that button in the menu up top that says “Store”, go to the “Improve Your Skill” department and buy yourself a copy (or click the link in the previous sentence, they both go to the GunNoob store). It is a great beginners guide to competition that goes over the differences between ALL the different ways to compete.
Once you’ve picked out a type of competition you’d like to get in to, the best place to start is the homepage of the managing body. For example, if IDPA got your attention, head over to http://www.idpa.com/. Again, the book “Shoot!” has all of their homepages in it. Like I said, it’s a great reference.
Each different competition style has all kinds of different requirements and it would be an extensive task to try and list them all. Instead, here’s a “grand scheme of things” overview of some of the more popular ones:
- IDPA – defense focused. Guns need to be concealable and “real world” style.
- USPSA – All kinds of different categories within USPSA and each one focuses on a different discipline or style like revolvers and so on.
- Sporting Clays, Skeet and Trap – Little clay disks get obliterated by a shotgun. This is closer to hunting than any of the other styles of competitions.
- 3-Gun – a division of USPSA where you shoot a stage with a pistol, rifle AND shotgun during each stage. It’s very popular at the moment due to its dynamic nature.
- Single Action/Cowboy action – Historical focused shooting where period weapons and dress is required.
There are lots more, mind you, but those are the main ones you’ll run in to on a regular basis. The easiest of those to get started with are IDPA and the Clay sports as they require minimal specialized equipment.
Thanks for the questions!
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